IN OUR TOWNS

NEW BRITAIN - A city man who police say stabbed a man in the back for no apparent reason Friday night faces a felony assault charge.

Rupert Salmon, 18, of Lasalle Street, was charged with first-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace in connection with the attack.

The victim, who was stabbed twice, told police he had no idea why he was attacked.

Police found Salmon hiding in an apartment on Defense Court.

Salmon was presented Monday in Superior Court in New Britain and is due back in a few weeks.

Police said the victim was taken to a hospital in Hartford for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Alcohol Charges Filed

NEW BRITAIN - A man who police say sold alcohol after hours out of his apartment faces several charges after he allegedly sold beer and vodka to an undercover police officer.

Police arrested Angel Benitez, 63, of South Main Street, and charged him with two counts of illegal disposal of liquor.

Police said Benitez lacked the required license to sell alcohol and also violated the law by selling the product after the legal closing time for package stores. He was free after posting $5,000 bail and is due in Superior Court in New Britain in several weeks.

Man In Fatal Crash Identified

SALEM - Police have identified the victim of a fatal accident Friday night as John Baxter of Salem, state police said.

Baxter, 44, of 558 Route 85, was traveling west on Route 82 at 11:17 p.m. when his pickup truck crossed the center line and struck a minivan being driven by Rita Grant, 51, of 30 Music Vale Road, police said.

Baxter's vehicle continued west off the left shoulder of the road and struck a rock wall, trees and a fence. He died at the scene, police said.

Grant's vehicle spun around and came to rest on a front lawn. She was treated at William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich for facial lacerations, police said.

The accident was being investigated by Trooper Jeffrey Brunoli of Troop K in Colchester.

Motorcyclist Dies In Crash

WINDHAM - A local man was killed when he lost control of his motorcycle and struck a utility pole Friday afternoon, police said.

Joshua Metell, 28, of 354 N. Windham Road, was traveling south on Route 203 in North Windham at 2:18 p.m. when a vehicle towing a flatbed trailer pulled out of a private driveway at 465 Route 203 into the northbound travel lane, police said.

Metell lost control of his bike, struck the pole and sustained fatal injuries, police said. The operator of the truck, David Vertafeuille 51, of 822 Hop River Road, Bolton, was not injured in the crash, police said.

Police Investigating Robbery

SOUTH WINDSOR - Police are asking for the public's help in identifying a man who robbed a gas station convenience store over the weekend.

The gunpoint robbery at Snaxx Plus, 5 John Fitch Blvd., in some ways is similar to a holdup down the street two weeks earlier and to others in area towns, Sgt. Scott Custer said Monday.

Police said the robbery occurred about 1 p.m. Sunday. The robber displayed a dark-colored handgun, took money from the cash register and ran away. No one was injured.

The man was described as white, of average size and build. He wore a black mask with sunglasses, a white shirt and gray shorts.

On April 5, a white man - who also wore a black ski mask with sunglasses - robbed the Mobil gas station at 779 John Fitch Blvd. at knifepoint, police said at the time. That robber fled south on John Fitch Boulevard, also known as Route 5, and drove on I-291 in a blue compact car, police said at the time.

Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call the South Windsor Police at 860-644-2551.

Marijuana Charges Filed

MANCHESTER - A local man was arrested on drug charges over the weekend after police discovered marijuana plants in his apartment closet.

Benjamin Gonzalez, 28, of Oakland Street, was arrested Sunday on charges including possession of more than 4 ounces of marijuana, sale of a controlled substance, operation of a drug factory and risk of injury to a minor. The last charge stems from the fact that children were home at the time the drugs were discovered, according to the police report.

During Gonzalez's arraignment in Superior Court Monday, bail was set at $75,000. His next court date was scheduled for May 13.

According to the report, police went to his apartment at 201 Oakland St. after they received a report of a marijuana odor. Police found a plastic baggy of the drug on Gonzalez and "numerous marijuana plants" in an open upstairs closet, the report said.

The officers called the regional drug squad, East Central Narcotics, and the narcotics officers took over the investigation.

Man Treated After Suicide Try

EAST HARTFORD - A distraught man was taken to an area hospital Monday morning after he tried to jump from the Charter Oak Bridge, police said.

The man was taken down from the bridge at 9:44 a.m., three minutes after the suicide attempt was reported to police, said Lt. J. Paul Vance, state police spokesman. No one was injured, he said.

It wasn't clear Monday who had helped him get down from the bridge that spans the Connecticut River between East Hartford and Wethersfield.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Health And Fitness Festival

TORRINGTON - The 2008 Health and Fitness Festival will feature MOMIX, an acclaimed company of dancer-illusionists, as its featured performer.

The festival, which will also feature performances by local dance teams, martial artists and the Torrington High School cheerleaders, will be held April 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Torrington Armory on South Main Street.

In addition to the performances, more than 20 exhibitors will offer free health screenings. Residents who took part in the Fit Together Fitness Challenge can return their completed forms at the festival for a chance to win prizes. Admission to the festival is free.

MOMIX creates surrealistic images with a combination of dancers, props, lights and shadows. Based in the nearby town of Washington, Conn., they have performed all over the world.

The Health and Fitness Festival is organized by the Northwest Child and Family Health Council, a partnership dedicated to providing support and access to health and wellness resources.

Fishing Licenses Available

CANTON - Licenses are available for the fishing season, which begins at sunrise today. Licenses are available for everyone 16 and older and cost $20 for state residents, $40 for out-of-state residents and $16 for a three-day out-of-state resident license. They are free to those 65 and older.

The licenses are available at the town clerk's office, the local Dick's sporting goods store, or online at the state Department of Environmental Protection commission's site. The 2008 Connecticut Angler's Guide also can be obtained at the DEP's site.

Seminar On Arthritis

FARMINGTON - Middlewoods of Farmington, an independent and assisted living community, will hold an informational seminar on "Living With Arthritis," on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.

The seminar is sponsored by Connecticut Center for Healthy Aging and presented by the Doug Barber P.T. Jerome Home. All attendees will be entered in a raffle. To reserve a spot, call 860-284-5700.

Police officers certified as child safety seat technicians will inspect and make any needed corrections to a car seat installation at the clinic. There are no fees or residency requirements involved, and no reservations are necessary.

The dealership is at 132 Scott Swamp Road (Route 6 at New Britain Avenue).